Sponges save the Jambiani Lagoon | Global 3000

As fish stocks in the seas off Zanzibar dwindle, so, too, do the earnings of local fishermen. Selling coral and sea sponges offer an alternative. They're popular souvenirs among tourists. The NGO marinecultures.org has been helping the fishermen to learn aquafarming.This also discourages poaching on the coral reefs. And researchers are looking at sea sponges in the hope of finding agents effective against cancer and viral infections.